http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2006/HEALTH/05/22/no.more.periods.ap/story.noperiod.sardinha.ap.jpg
Stephanie Sardinha: Not having a period since she was 17 is "one of the best things I've ever done."

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) -- For young women with a world of choices, even that monthly curse, the menstrual period, is optional.

Thanks to birth control pills and other hormonal contraceptives, a growing number of women are taking the path chosen by 22-year-old Stephanie Sardinha.

She hasn't had a period since she was 17.

"It's really one of the best things I've ever done," she says.
A college student and retail worker in Lisbon Falls, Maine, Sardinha uses Nuvaring, a vaginal contraceptive ring. After the hormones run out in three weeks, she replaces the ring right away instead of following instructions to leave the ring out for a week to allow bleeding. She says it has been great for her marriage, preventing monthly crankiness and improving her sex life.
"I would never go back," said Sardinha, who got the idea from her aunt, a nurse practitioner.

Using the pill or other contraceptives to block periods is becoming more popular, particularly among young women and those entering menopause, doctors say.

"I have a ton of young girls in college who are doing this," says Dr. Mindy Wiser-Estin, a gynecologist in Little Silver, New Jersey, who did it herself for years. "There's no reason you need a period."

Such medical jury-rigging soon will be unnecessary. Already, the Seasonale birth control pill limits periods to four a year. The first continuous-use birth control pill, Lybrel, most likely will soon be on the U.S. market, and drug companies are lining up other ways to limit or eliminate the period.
Most doctors say they don't think suppressing menstruation is riskier than regular long-term birth control use, and one survey found that a majority have prescribed contraception to prevent periods. Women have been using the pill for nearly half a century without significant problems, but some doctors want more research on long-term use.

The new methods should be popular. A non-scientific Web survey for the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals found at least two-thirds of respondents are bothered by fatigue, heavy bleeding, "really bad cramps" and even anger. Nearly half said they would like to have no period at all or decide when to have one.

For some women, periods can cause debilitating pain and more serious problems.

Two recent national surveys found about 1 in 5 women have used oral contraceptives to stop or skip their period.

"If you're choosing contraception, then there's not a lot of point to having periods," says Dr. Leslie Miller, a University of Washington-Seattle researcher and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology whose Web site, noperiod.com, explains the option. She points out that women on hormonal contraception don't have real periods anyway, just withdrawal bleeding during the break from the hormone progestin.

According to Miller, modern women endure up to nine times more periods than their great-grandmothers, who began menstruating later, married young and naturally suppressed periods for years while they were pregnant or breast-feeding. Today's women may have about 450 periods.
Still, surveys also show most women consider monthly periods normal. Small wonder: Girls learn early on that menstruation is a sign of fertility and femininity, making its onset an eagerly awaited rite of passage.
The period is "way over-romanticized," says Linda Gordon, a New York University professor specializing in women's history and the history of sexuality.

"It doesn't take long for women to go from being excited about having a period to feeling it's a pain in the neck," said Gordon, author of "The Moral Property of Women: A History of Birth Control Politics in America."
She says care is needed because not enough data exist on long-term consequences of using hormones continuously. Gordon notes that menopausal women for years were told that hormone drugs would keep them young -- until research uncovered unexpected risks.
"People should proceed very cautiously," she says.

Today's birth control pills contain far less estrogen and progestin than those of two generations ago, but still increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and blood clots. The pill should not be used by women who have had those conditions, unexplained vaginal bleeding or certain cancers, or if they are smokers over 35.

But there are benefits from taking oral contraceptives too, such as a lower risk of ovarian and endometrial cancer, osteoporosis and pelvic inflammatory disease. And forgoing periods means no premenstrual syndrome and a lower risk of anemia and migraines, says Dr. Sheldon Segal, co-author of "Is Menstruation Obsolete?" Segal has been involved in research for several contraceptives.

Almost since the first pill arrived in 1960, women have manipulated birth control to skip periods for events such as a wedding, vacation or sports competition. Female doctors and nurses were among the first to block menstruation long-term to suit their schedules, said Susan Wysocki, head of the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health.
"They were then more comfortable recommending it to their patients," said Wysocki, who uses a vaginal ring to prevent menstruation.

The idea gained momentum after Barr Pharmaceuticals launched Seasonale in November 2003. It's a standard birth control pill taken for 12 weeks, with a break for withdrawal bleeding every three months. Amid wide acceptance by doctors, sales shot up 62 percent last year, to $110 million.
Publicity for Seasonale made women wonder, if just four periods a year are OK, why have any at all?

Users of Pfizer Inc.'s Depo-Provera, a progestin-only contraceptive shot lasting three months, usually are period-free after a year or two. There's now a generic version, but the drug can thin bones.

And many women have been getting extra prescriptions so they could continuously stay on birth control pills, the Ortho Evra patch or the vaginal ring, rather than bleeding every fourth week. That schedule was set by the original birth control designers to mimic normal menstrual cycles. But the extra prescriptions have led to insurance company hassles.
"What Seasonale did is get rid of that nuisance," says Dr. Peter McGovern of University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

New extended-cycle contraceptives will do the same. Wyeth is hoping by late June to get Food and Drug Administration approval to sell Lybrel, its low-dose, continuous birth control pill; approval also is pending in Canada and Europe.

Also in June, FDA should decide whether to approve Implanon, a single-rod, three-year contraceptive implanted in the upper arm that maker Organon USA has been selling it in Europe for a decade.

Berlex Inc. is developing its own birth control pill for menstrual suppression.
Barr, aiming to be a leader in extended contraception, last November bought the maker of ParaGard, an intrauterine device that blocks periods in some women. Barr's new product Seasonique, a successor to Seasonale, is expected to get federal approval at week's end.

Dr. Patricia Sulak, who researches extended contraception at Texas A&M College of Medicine, applauds this new trend. The doses in standard pills are now so low, she said, that having seven days off them raises the risk of pregnancy.

"This redesign is way overdue," she says. "It's going to be the demise of 21-7."

lynnifer

05-23-2006, 01:54 AM

I would love to get rid of periods - period. I want my gynecologist to do surgery and 'yank everything' but he won't. He would only offer 'chemical menopause.' I wanted no part of that.

I am getting extremely frustrated with the Endo thing. Unexpected periods ... then nothing at all ... heavy and painful. Bloating - OMG can we say I withold the Pacific Ocean! And just generally short and CRANKY. I'm sure Always stock have shot up. Bleedin' hell! Swelling in lower extremeties for a week before is not helping things either.

So I'd love to do something like the article suggests ... but even birth control pills seem to make me gain weight. Look at the gal in the picture. Oh sure - no period for five years - but look what it's done to her!

Thoughts?

ETA: I don't want to sound like the embarressing aunt who always brought up the monthly thing - but it seems to have become a source of trouble for me! lol

roshni

05-23-2006, 09:45 AM

So I'd love to do something like the article suggests ... but even birth control pills seem to make me gain weight. Look at the gal in the picture. Oh sure - no period for five years - but look what it's done to her!

Yes look at her indeed: she' happy with her sex life!

30something

05-23-2006, 09:37 PM

OMG...how wonderful to never have a period. I've been looking into this for months now. i've just about decided to go with the Novasure procedure where they cauterize the uterus and no more bleeding.
I don't like the idea of BC pills forever or the yanking of my parts and the hormone replacement. The Novasure has none of these.
Has anyone else heard of it or had it done?
My close friend had it done and loves it!! She still gets the faint PMS symptoms once a month but no bleeding.
Now I've got to make myself go to the inaccessible gyno..joy, joy!

sjean423

05-23-2006, 10:36 PM

I hadn't heard of Novasure. It sounds like a great idea to me. I will have to look in to it. I have 2 days a month when I hate to go far from the house ..... its not like pre sci when you could just pop in the ladies room, and I need to take care of things every 3 hours or so. So maybe I should make that appointment with the inaccessible gyno myself. You would think they could get an adjustable table .....

http://www.novasure.com/

interesting

Suzie Q

01-24-2007, 09:08 PM

I just had the Novasure procedure done, along with that i had a DNC also. I had it done because of health issues, heavy bleeding. My OBGYN doc is great! I was so anemic i couldnt function and was needing blood transfusions, so it was a god-send really to find out about this procedure. It was sorta odd i had bled for three weeks already this month and the day i stop i go in for the proceedure. LOL. But I am shocked that i am not really bleeding at all. The only grip i have is the nurses that cathed me twice must have learned how to from the back room butcher. I was totally put under and intubated (to my surprise). Well the anthes. told me that was what he was going to do it before hand. In the op. room i did voice concerns over the positioning of my neck and they were very accommodating (to my surprise). So If anyone has any questions on this please feel free to send me a PM. ;)

gurly2356

01-24-2007, 09:51 PM

I use seasonale and only having the four periods is a huge relief!! I wouldn't ever want to try something that completely stops my periods..that just doesn't seem right!

lynnifer

01-24-2007, 10:20 PM

I wish there were more studies for a standard of treatment.

I have a theory that women who are paralyzed probably have more problems with menstrual cycles than our AB counterparts.

Most def.

SCIFighter

01-24-2007, 10:42 PM

I found for months I did not have a period most SCI(may have been the extent of the trauma also). I had one, thank goodness I was up well, off on the diprovan(medically induced coma) in the hospital, oh, Lord that would have been devastating at that time. I could not have done anything or nothing:zombie: . But after that, I did not. My body would "think" it would, I woudl hurt even more, my legs/arms felt like they had been put in oil then a match set on them, oh wait still does. It was miserable. They have more "normalized" to what they "used" to be since I had my dd 8 yrs ago. They are horrible, horrible.
My ysis has endo. also(I do but huh, no problems since my accident, well maybe I was hit hard enough it knocked it out:applaud: ). She is only 27 or 28. They put her into menopause, it seemed to help but that may be doing more harm to her then good and she already can't have kids.
Yep, I believe that also Lynnifer!

Suzie Q

01-25-2007, 02:05 AM

Gurly, it would not be a good choice for someone your age at all. I am 40 and the ultrasound showed alot of junk inside my uterus, alot more than a woman of 40 should have they said. I might have my regular periods now and might not. Novasure is only for women past thier child birthing wants and needs years. My reg. doc did not want to put me on hormones and this way i get to keep everything. This procedure is not for everyone. Your uterus is made up of mostly muscle i found out and the lining that is affected by the Novasure is the only thing effected. I was scared crazy at the hospital being told i needed a histerectomy and they mentioned i might have cancer. So i went and had a biopsy done of my uterus and it was not cancer. Thank God! They did have to drain a cyst to be able to do it tho. The same day they did a ultrasound inside my uterus because the doc didnt like what she saw up in there. LOL. This really is a God send because of the horrible bleeding i was going thru for years now. I was dizzy, passing out from being anemic so bad.

cara_m

01-25-2007, 12:12 PM

Never really had much problem with mine. The longest would be 3 days. I understand what you mean lynnifer, When I went in for my bladder augmentation I asked the Dr. about yanking out my uterus and keeping everything else. Well he did agree but then I chickened out. The good news is that I just turned 51 still get it but I know that those days are becoming slightly numbered---YESSS!! Just think of the perk you have to look forward to when you reach retirement in about a decade and a half---you young one you. aaaagh. Now that I think of it wish it were me.

Suzie Q

02-17-2007, 06:55 PM

Update... Still having my monthly cycle and its about a third of what is was but so much better than it was. I am pleased with the results and would recommend it. WWW.novasure.com (http://www.novasure.com).

sjean423

03-07-2007, 11:23 PM

I just came from my NEW gynecologist (very knowledgable about my condition, with an accessible table and a staff eager to help :)) and he recommended Thermachoice. It is similar to Novasure, but used heated saline in a ballon (similar to a foley catheter) instead of the electrical signals. It sounds promising. Once I get the issues that sent me there today taken care of, I will be considering this.

Suzie Q

05-31-2007, 01:21 PM

I would not recomend the Novasure procedure.

It has become a nightmare all over again but worse now. I am going half the month now, more and more each month. What makes it worse than before..now its more watery and causes more accidents. Its horrible! Before the major surgery my doc wanted me to try hormones and they didnt work. Sooooo its historectomy time i guess. I saw a different doctor this last time and he asked me if i knew that Novasure only has a 80% success I said NO. But anyway I wanted to let the women know that was thinking about having it done the nitty gritty.

Liz321

05-31-2007, 02:48 PM

More info on Women!!!

I'm getting a sign and a soapbox!

lynnifer

05-31-2007, 09:46 PM

Every month I get terribly sick. I've been to my doctor several times over the past few years about it and I finally have given up.

I just suck it up for two days and stay in bed. Pain, lethargy, migraines, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, urine dumping ... if they don't care then I guess I shouldn't either.

ETA: And another thing ... there was a recent news report in England about the male fish losing their sex. A theory is all the birth control pills that women are on ... recently the same was found in the fresh water great lakes. So I'm against the pill in principle now.

Suzie Q

06-20-2007, 03:50 AM

:( Surgery for the historectomey (sp) is for the 27th of July. They are leaving my ovaries in. This whole thing has been a nightmare... I bled for 3 weeks this month and almost all of the days it was severe. The hormone pills didnt work. I got some iron pills from the doc today and they took blood, he wants to see how bad anemic i am. Whats even worse than dealing with this is sitting in that office with all the pregnant woman and all the baby pics all over the walls! I am doing ok so far, it will be such a relief not to have this giant problem anylonger. :)

Le Type Français

06-20-2007, 05:20 AM

Oh Suzie! I'm so sorry to hear of this. I hope everything works out well for you.

lynnifer

06-20-2007, 06:38 AM

Hopefully this solves your problem.

lynnifer

07-06-2007, 08:37 PM

Seasonale coming to Canada.

http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/07/06/contraceptive.html

davesgirl aka anty

07-16-2007, 08:00 AM

Lynn have you tried seasonale yet? I just started taking it yesterday. I am so glad my insurance covered it. :) anty

lynnifer

07-16-2007, 06:18 PM

I don't see my GP until July 31st but I'm going to ask him about it (along with about a million other things lol).

I acquired eczema from Yasmin. A dermatologist I saw thought it was too much hormone for me.

chick

07-17-2007, 02:01 PM

Lo-Estrin anyone??

Just started couple months ago, but I'm not sure about this at this point (but honestly, missed many doses). Will try to take religiously (but I'm shitty at taking any pills regularly cuz I forget to often). Since starting tho, I've had my period like every freakin other week! lol and much more periodic spotting. bleh bleh bleh. I'm mainly taking it as hormone supplement AND to DELETE the MONTHLIES! :p
I'll try to be consistent for the next 3 months or so, and see...

Anyone else have experience with this?

jazzy22

08-03-2007, 12:41 PM

To supress your period just use a mono-phasic Pill continously...I take Alesse

Mono-phasic means the 21 "active" pills all have the same amount of hormones and are all the same colour.

You take the 21 pills (one/day). On day 22: instead of starting your 7 days of "dummy=inactive" pills you start over again with the 21 active pills.

No drop of hormone levels=no period
If you want your period, take the 7 dummy pills.

I haven't had a period, or even spotting, in 3.5 years Yeah!

I get checked regularly and none of my Dr's has a problem with it

lynnifer

10-04-2010, 09:22 AM

I've been on Seasonale for six months now. Could I be in love with a pharmaceutical product? Quite possibly!

Not having periods for 3 months is a FREAKING WONDERFUL THING.

It has alleviated the pain, bloating and extreme fatigue I felt once a month. I was so bad I had to use one sick day per month for work .. no more! There are no more messy, heavy periods (yay!) I still have a little hiccup with bladder & bowels and a little edema in the feet during that time, but I figure that's more paralysis related (damn lack of research into paralyzed women).

My doctor wants me to shed the uterine lining (have a period) once every three months still because he believes not doing so causes an increased chance of uterine cancer.

The pharmacist (who is female) disagrees and says you could virtually go without a period as long as you like. I'm tempted ... but I tend to err on the side of my doctor.

Anyone know the facts? Can you go without a period for years?!?!?

I FREAKING HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FORM OF BIRTH CONTROL TO CONTROL PERIODS TO ANY PARALYZED WOMAN ... FIVE STARS! Finally a success.

30something

10-04-2010, 09:57 AM

Lynnifer, that's wonderful!! Have you noticed any weight-gain? I always gained weight on the pill but I had always used one kind. I had heard that not all BC pills have that side effect. I struggle so with weight :-(

Suzie Q, I never got the Novasure...sooo sorry about what you went through. Did the hysterectomy go well?

Has anyone tried the progesterone (wild yam) cream? While it doesn't eliminate the monthlies, it's supposed to decrease the pms symptoms and flow.

lynnifer

10-04-2010, 10:11 AM

No, that's the great thing as well! No weight gain for me, though I read some others had it when researching it.

Emi2

10-04-2010, 12:17 PM

Doesn't it have estrogen? And risk blood clots? I would love to get rid of my period, wish I'd gotten a Mirena IUD instead of the rgular IUD after Hazel was born. As my friend has one and just barely spots now.

lynnifer

10-04-2010, 10:02 PM

Estrogen and progestin. Earlier this year, my always-clear face started to have hormonal acne ... Seasonale has helped there as well, though not as much as I anticipated.

I've not had a blood clot ever, so I can imagine the hesitation to take oral contraceptives with that history ... but frankly, the relief is worth the risk to me. I could no longer go on the way I was ... I really feel free from all that.

live2ride

10-12-2010, 08:47 AM

Mirena was great for me. I had heavy bleeding and spotting and an ultrasound found a large polyp. They went in and removed it (benign) and inserted a Mirena at the same time and after light spotting for a few months periods stopped completely (been a couple of years now). They did offer to burn out the lining and although I thought I was 100% sure I wasn't going to have kids (41 and single, no sensation and no desire and time is running out) when it came to the crunch I wasn't willing to go the whole way but might go down that track when the Mirena runs out (I think they give it about 5 years).

Oh - I couldn't take the pill with Eostrogen as I get Migraines with aura which apparently puts you at greater risk of strokes (I didn't know that) but the Mirena is progesterone only and lessens the risk.

I'm very lucky to be able to be very active so weight hasn't been a problem for me (touch wood). I'll probably blow up like a balloon when I stop training LOL.

lynnifer

10-21-2010, 09:22 AM

Correction: There was one side effect with Seasonale which I didn't notice until yesterday ... or else my bras are shrinking in the washer! lol

keps

10-21-2010, 09:49 AM

Correction: There was one side effect with Seasonale which I didn't notice until yesterday ... or else my bras are shrinking in the washer! lol

LOL! :applaud:
I wish I could get rid of my monthlies. Like live2ride, I can't take a combined pill, as I get aura migraines.

And live2ride - it was news to me too when I learnt recently that having aura migraines means an increased risk of stroke. Scary and depressing!

I'm on the mini pill Cerazette. Apparently lots of women who take this find they get no periods at all. I've found I do still get periods on this - and with cycles of 22-24 days, instead of my usual 28.
Right now I'm on day 10 of my period. I never knew periods could last so long before this pill. :sick:

sjean423

10-21-2010, 01:21 PM

I don;t know about the effects of the pill, but I have had a few times when my gyn has had to intervene and stop my period. And he told me I should have done it sooner. He has put me on a few days of another hormone. (In my case, he has said it is peri-menopause, but I think I am older than you.)

Just what you need tho, huh?

keps

10-26-2010, 06:54 PM

I don;t know about the effects of the pill, but I have had a few times when my gyn has had to intervene and stop my period. And he told me I should have done it sooner. He has put me on a few days of another hormone. (In my case, he has said it is peri-menopause, but I think I am older than you.)

Just what you need tho, huh?

I just finished a 14 day period. I thought the one before that lasting 11 days was bad. I'm seeing my doctor about changing my bc pill.
I'm 33 so think it should be a little while before I experience menopause. :o

I could cope with my usual 28 day cycles with 6 day periods, but this is just ridiculous. And definitely more hassle being sci. Ugh.

lynnifer

10-26-2010, 07:13 PM

I had long ones as well 6 or 7 days - not 14! I couldn't deal with that at all! I honestly think that something about spinal cord injury screws with the menstruation system (bloating, pain, extreme fatigue for me as a borderline anemic) ... I've read that it brings on menopause earlier but I have nothing to quote from.

I'm seeing all the breast cancer warnings on the news for women taking hormones and my mother and grandmother had it ... and yet I'll take this situation now with the risk because Seasonale beats the hassle of a period when sitting for decades!

It took a good two and a half months to get used to Seasonale .. I had some side effects but they were minimal (notably morning sickness, headaches).

I just might not even take the break and keep taking them steadily so there's no period to deal with at all.

sreneet

10-27-2010, 01:06 AM

I'm c5/6, 42 years old and 25 years post. I started having problems with heavy clotting that triggers AD about 2 years ago. I don't think I can deal with this much longer, the pain is almost unbearable. The heavy clotting usually happens every other period. I have also heard that perimenopause/menopause happens earlier for us. I think what I read mentioned that our bodies don't use up hormones the same as an AB's. I've been dealing with facial hair on my lip and chin since I was 35. Dr. Oz had a show about perimenopause and I had every symptom mentioned. He said it can start as young as 35 for the general population and last anywhere from a few months to 10 years. There is NO way I can deal with the heavy clotting and pain that long. I have an attendant in the a.m. and my husband at night that have to deal with cleaning me up. It's always worse when I first get up and when I get back in be. I try not to even look anymore because it makes my pain worse when I see the clots. I can tell by their expressions when it's really bad. They usually tell me how bad it was later.

I thought about having the hysterectomy a year ago but put it off due to not having insurance. My new insurance goes into effect Nov. 11th. I'm going to be getting a colostomy soon after so I'm going to try and schedule a partial hysterectomy(removal of uterus)at the same time. I'm not planning on having children. I also want to discuss hormone replacement if my other side effects continue(night sweats, memory loss, severe mood swings, anxiety, depression and heart palpitations).

I hope you find something that helps soon. Dealing with this stuff is mentally and physically draining!

keps

10-27-2010, 01:00 PM

I had long ones as well 6 or 7 days - not 14! I couldn't deal with that at all! I honestly think that something about spinal cord injury screws with the menstruation system (bloating, pain, extreme fatigue for me as a borderline anemic) ... I've read that it brings on menopause earlier but I have nothing to quote from.

Dear god, is there anything that isn't worsened by sci?! So we can look forward to an earlier menopause? Wonderful(!)
I haven't really experienced much difference in my cycles since my injury (my period did stop for two months directly after my injury, then resumed pretty much as normal). I am only 6 years post though, if that makes a difference.

I'm seeing all the breast cancer warnings on the news for women taking hormones and my mother and grandmother had it ... and yet I'll take this situation now with the risk because Seasonale beats the hassle of a period when sitting for decades!

It took a good two and a half months to get used to Seasonale .. I had some side effects but they were minimal (notably morning sickness, headaches).

I just might not even take the break and keep taking them steadily so there's no period to deal with at all.It seems any hormonal bc carries some increased risk of breast cancer. But like you and others, I'm willing to take bc despite this. There's no history of breast cancer in the family I know of.

I can deal with periods, just not two week ones, and short cycles. I have never found it totally dreadful to cope with periods post-sci, but I must admit I like the idea of none at all.
Just got the depo shot today. Fingers crossed for no more hideously long periods for me!

sreneet - do you have a lot of sensation? I had hideous stomach cramps pre-sci, thankfully I don't feel that pain now. I do get very minor ad on the first day sometimes.

Good luck with getting the colostomy, and the hysterectomy. Poo and period-hassle free sounds awesome! :thumbsup:

sreneet

10-28-2010, 12:33 AM

sreneet - do you have a lot of sensation? I had hideous stomach cramps pre-sci, thankfully I don't feel that pain now. I do get very minor ad on the first day sometimes.

Good luck with getting the colostomy, and the hysterectomy. Poo and period-hassle free sounds awesome! :thumbsup:

I don't have external touch sensation but for some reason I can feel pain that's internal.( back pain associated with kidney infection, bladder pain, gas pains and menstrual pain) I had minor nerve pain and very little internal pain the first 14 years after injury. I guess age is taking it's toll on me because it has gradually gotten worse.

I can't wait to be poo and period hassle free! The next surgery I'm facing after these is a bladder augmentation due to an indwelling foley for 25 years. It's a major one that I'm scared to do but it will need to be done sometime in the near future. I'm not getting any younger. lol I wish I would have done it when I was younger. I was never informed on the benefits of why it should be done until a few years ago.

I agree with what Lyniffer said about SCI screwing with the menstrual system.